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The Dalai Lama has said that Buddhism and science are deeply compatible and has encouraged Western scholars to critically examine both the meditative practice and Buddhist ideas about the human mind. A number of scientists and philosophers have taken up this challenge. There have been brain scans of meditators and philosophical examinations of Buddhist doctrines. There have even been discussions of Darwin and the Buddha: Do early Buddhist descriptions of the mind, and of the human condition, make particular sense in light of evolutionary psychology?
This course will examine how Buddhism is faring under this scrutiny. Are neuroscientists starting to understand how meditation “works”? Would such an understanding validate meditation—or might physical explanations of meditation undermine the spiritual significance attributed to it? And how are some of the basic Buddhist claims about the human mind holding up? We’ll pay special attention to some highly counterintuitive doctrines: that the self doesn’t exist, and that much of perceived reality is in some sense illusory. Do these claims, radical as they sound, make a certain kind of sense in light of modern psychology? And what are the implications of all this for how we should live our lives? Can meditation make us not just happier, but better people?
All the features of this course are available for free. It does not offer a certificate upon completion....

人気のレビュー

VC

Nov 16, 2015

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I have been practicing meditation for two years already.In so far I have attended all Deepak Chopra meditation experiences which I found very helpful but not as helpful this course provided me so far.

CV

Mar 03, 2016

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Engaging content and excellent pace. While the level is introductory (I'd have liked a bit more depth), I would expect this from a lower-division/breadth course—and even more so from a MOOC like this.

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Buddhism and Modern Psychology ： 126 - 150 / 1,240 レビュー

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by Ruth P

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Jun 02, 2020

I learned so much about evolutionary psychology and Buddhism and how they might be connected from excellent lectures cleverly sectioned into easy bites to digest, from the highly entertaining office hours and from the diverse variety of additional resources to compliment the main content. You honestly can't cover more ground in a six week online course - and if you like dogs, this course is for you!

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by Katya R

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Nov 04, 2015

I really enjoyed this course! I have had an interest in Buddhist ideas, particularly meditation, but come from a very scientific mindset and want to see all ideas supported by experiments and empirical evidence. This course does a great job connecting results from psychology and neuroscience that aren't specifically about testing Buddhist philosophy and explaining how they support these ideas.

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by Jagdeep G

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Aug 18, 2016

The Course is well designed. It takes you through the Buddhist principles and co-relates how the findings of Modern Psychology are supportive of Buddha's teachings.It has normally been held that Religion and Science cannot converge.However this Course has to a large extent been able to show that it is possible to explain the matters of conciousness and beyond in terms of modern psychology

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by Joseph W

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Jul 06, 2016

I think professor Wright is an effective teacher. The class introduces these concepts in a clear way. It isn't academically challenging in the sense that there are difficult assignments, but there are a couple essays that help ensure that you are understanding the content. It's a great introduction for someone who knows little about Buddhism or how it stands from a psychological standpoint.

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by Paula S

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Jun 23, 2017

I am only half way through this course but I am addicted! It is exactly what I have been looking for not only to help me understand the basics of Buddhism in layman terms but in to offer scientific explanations to back it up. Robert Wright is easy to understand and easy to connect to, I think he has done an amazing job at putting this course together and presenting it, so I say THANK YOU!

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by Matthew B

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Sep 21, 2016

Robert Wright does an excellent job presenting Buddhist ideas and putting them into context with modern psychology studies. I felt he offered a unique and scientific approach to the discourses and very much enjoyed his interviews and insights. The questions at the end of every lecture were very helpful to solidify new concepts. I look forward to digging deeper into supplemental materials.

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by Gavin D

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Jun 07, 2016

This is the first Coursera course that I have taken, and I was extremely glad to have taken it. Robert Wright is a wonderful lecturer - extremely intelligent, engaging and also adds some fun to the content.

Thank you Robert - I learnt a surprising amount in many unexpected areas. I am glad to have encountered you and am already beginning to seek out other material that you have produced.

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by Brianna C

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Dec 01, 2019

I took this course more than four years ago and I still think about it often. I have taken in-person classes at three different institutions and am now pursuing my PhD. Among all the courses I've participated in throughout my education, this remains one of my favorites. It stretched my thinking and caused me to reconsider some of the ways I thought the world and human experience work.

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by Carlos S

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Jan 20, 2016

Good Balance explaining Modern Psychology and Buddhism as well as how the former has aided to support empirically most of the observations laid out by the latter centuries ago. Lectures are very insightful and carefully crafted turning the whole six week course into a delightful experience to those interested not only in Buddhism but also in Modern Psychology and behavioural theory.

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by Martin E

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May 26, 2020

I would like to recommend this course to anyone interested in Buddhism who is looking for different and more down-to-earth perspectives on the teachings. I personally gained a lot of valuable insight on how the mind works and how this correlates with Buddhist ideas. Prof. Wright is a wonderful teacher, I especially enjoyed the office hours videos featuring his "enlightened dogs". :)

In this excellent course Robert Wright shares his research that went into his latest book "Why Buddhism is True." I am now starting to read that book, but I suspect the course Buddhism and Modern Psychology will turn out to be a spoiler. That's okay, the course also made me want to learn more about Buddhism, meditation in particular, and also related science and neuroscience.

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by Shubhada

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Oct 20, 2016

I want to say a big thank you to Prof. Wright for designing this course excellently. This course has provided an enlightening outlook on life. It's a must for not only people who are studying Buddhist philosophy but also for people who are tackling with turbulence in life & need a long term solution to dealing with life's ups & downs. Thank you Prof. Wright, I will miss you!

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by Tarey L K

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Oct 28, 2015

I am very attached to this Course & would find it extremely difficult not having an affective reaction to it. This is the second time I have audited this Course & hope to audit it each time it is available. Dr. Wright is a wonderful teacher & presents some very difficult concepts in very clear, concise, understandable language. Thank you so very much for this Course.

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by Amit I

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Jan 02, 2020

Robert Wright's class is amazing. I had been reading about Advaita Vedanta and studying writings of various Buddhist writers. Both these philosophies are very close and touch many aspects of our belief systems. I found Prof Wright's class to be the most engaging and insightful. It started me on a journey to learn more about the psychology and the neurobiology.

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by Dilshan S

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Oct 18, 2016

Engaging and stimulating, this course offers fresh perspectives on looking at the world. With captivating video lectures backed with interviews with world-class experts on subject matters, this course is a must for those interested in the intersection of Buddhism and modern psychology. A big thank you to Mr. Wright for putting all the material together. Thank you!

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by Mónica M T

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Jun 06, 2020

It is an interesting course. I learned many things that i had no idea before. Every topic was explained clearly.

However, I have a commment. There was an argument that wasn't mentioned along the course: how modern science, with a positivist approach, would lend support to a practice or paradigm that it isnt positive (not measurable, that can not be observed, etc).

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by Joanna F

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Jul 17, 2017

The course is prepared very, very nicely. I appreciated Mr Wright's knowledge on the topic as well as his style of presenting it. I think it is an excellent course for those who are ready to receive the teachings. I also enjoyed Mr Wright's sense of humor and his anecdotes about the dogs - Milo and Frazier. They are no worse teachers of Buddhism than their boss.

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by pankaj r

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Oct 02, 2016

This is my second go for this course and let me tell, that this course is an excellent connection of pragmatic theories of BUDDHISM.I am practicing meditation "Vipassna Meditation" which is a form of very intense meditation technique thought by Lord Buddha himself, i can easily correlate every word what is being thought.Thumbs up for such an insightful course!!!

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by Anselmo D A

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Dec 12, 2017

An awesome course. I took it because of the proposal to relate Buddhism and modern psychology, even me knowing too little of both. Professor Wright makes it easy to follow the Buddha's ideas, while relating those to modern science, and my view of what both subjects are changed for the best. From here, a lot of reading and practice of meditation to improve life!

I really like this course, which shows a very different perspective to think about the religion that I usually heard of but never thought into. It stimulated me to think of the inbuilt modes of human's mind/brain by birth (psychology part), and subjectively think of buddhism by getting rid of those overwhelming superstitions. Thank you very much, professor!

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by Shikha A

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Jun 15, 2019

Its a great course for anyone who wants to understand Buddhism in relation to modern psychology. The topics have been covered with lot of depth and clarity. And there are many talks with eminent people in respective fields to give additional inputs about the topics. I really like this course and would look forward to do more courses by the same instructor.